ANNEX
Methodology
1. The contracted prisons were compared
with the same publicly managed prisons as in the Economics Unit's
report.
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| Contracted prison | Comparator group
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| Blakenhurst | Elmley, Holme House
|
| Doncaster | Birmingham, Elmley, Holme House
|
| Wolds | Bedford, Cardiff, Exeter
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2. Costs were compared on three bases-
- Cost per baseline Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA)
place
- Cost per in-use CNA place
3. Costs for contracted prisons were taken from completed
questionnaires plus costs paid directly by the Prison Service.
Staff information was taken from completed questionnaires.
4. Costs for publicly managed prisons were taken from
the final accounts; adjusted to put then onto a comparable basis
with contracted prisons; and supplemented with information from
each prison on the split of staff costs between discipline officers
and others. Staff information was taken from completed questionnaires.
5. The key differences between this study and the Economics
Unit's review are-
- This study used actual costs for contracted prisons; the
Economics Unit used payments made by the Prison Service
- This study adjusted for court escorting by deducting estimated
costs at prisons in uncontracted-out areas; the Economics Unit
made adjustments by adding on a share of contracted court escort
prices in contracted-out areas (but presented the alternative
method as a sensitivity analysis).
6. All data relates to the 1995-96 financial year.
Assumptions
7. For costs relating to subcontracted staff I assumed
for each group that subcontracted staff cost the same as employed
staff in the relevant contracted prison.
Definitions
8. Basic grade discipline officers/custody officers were
defined as-
- Custody Officers=Prisoner Custody Officers with regular
daily contact with prisoners, excluding those with staff
management responsibility and specialists (e.g. for PE, works,
dogs)
- Discipline Officers=Prison Officers (not Senior or Principal
Officers) with regular daily contact with prisoners, excluding
specialist officers such as PE, Nursing, Works Officers, Dog Handlers
and officers employed in the gate or control room.
9. Other staff are all other staff, including where I
asked for details, subcontracted and fee-paid staff.
10. The report describes some of the difficulties with
this choice of categories.
Cost adjustments
Publicly managed prisons
11. I made four sets of adjustments to the data for publicly
managed prisons in line with the Economics Unit's study-
- Capital expenditure adjustments
- Inclusion of central services
- Deduction of court escorting costs at Doncaster's and
Wold's comparators.
Contracted Prisons
12. I made two sets of adjustments to the data for contracted
prisons, again in line with the Economics Unit's study-
- Costs of probation, utilities where relevant and prisoner
payments
- Inclusion of Prison Service overheads and central services.
Staff number adjustments
13. I reduced staff numbers at the comparator prisons
for Doncaster and Wolds to take account of court escorting. Blakenhurst
and its comparators still carried out court escorting duties so
no adjustments were necessary.
Use of results
14. We have agreed the following with operating companies-
- Completed questionnaires will remain within Planning Group
and classified "Restricted- Commercial"
- Data from completed questionnaires will be used for comparison
and analysis and will only be revealed outside Planning Group
in summary and percentage form
- They will have the opportunity to comment on the draft
report and will receive the final version. Conclusions will be
set out in general terms. References identifying prisons would
only be made after agreement of the wording with the prison operator
concerned
- The results will be available to Home Officers ministers
and to Treasury. Any public or other use of the material will
be for decision by Prison Service Planning Group after consulting
the prison operators.
Carla Andrews
Planning Group
HM Prison Service8
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